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Keene resident says utility crews damaged driveway, council pledges follow-up
Summary
During public comment on Jan. 16, resident Leonard Ridge told City Council that utility work near his home broke sewer and water lines and that repeated temporary repairs have failed; city leaders said staff will follow up.
Leonard Ridge, a Keene resident, told the City Council on Jan. 16 that crews drilling near his home damaged a sewer line and later a clean water line and that temporary patches have collapsed multiple times since late December.
Ridge said the first repair was on or about Dec. 29 and that crews returned four separate times to patch the area, but “it keeps collapsing” and he worries someone could hit the holes at night. He also said work by an AT&T crew damaged his U-verse internet line. “When do you guys are gonna fix it? The right way,” Ridge said during public comment.
The report matters because Ridge said the site is on an active driveway used daily by family members, including a daughter who requires vehicle accommodations, and because repeated collapses may create a safety hazard for residents and damage vehicles. Ridge said he has been texting the mayor and sent photos to document the problem.
Mayor and city staff responded in the meeting. The mayor acknowledged ongoing contact with Ridge and said she had forwarded his photos and messages to the city manager and that the city would work on improving door‑hanger or other notification to residents when work will leave temporary openings. City Manager Don Seitz said his office had been tracking the issue and that staff would follow up to confirm whether the contractor or the city is responsible for a permanent repair.
Council members and staff described the visible problem as more than a simple surface patch: staff said settling under the filled area has caused repeated failures and that proper backfill and compaction are necessary to stop the collapse. Ridge told the council the first repair occurred before Christmas, that the site collapsed again on Jan. 6, and that crews returned multiple times but the repairs have not held.
The council did not take a formal vote on the public comment item, but the mayor and city manager said staff would investigate the work, make contact with the contractor where possible, and follow up with the resident. Ridge said he wanted the city to either repair the driveway correctly or reimburse him if he contracts the work himself.
Council members said they would consider more systematic outreach when crews are working at residences — including a proposed door‑hanger or contact information on site — to alert homeowners that temporary work is in progress and when a crew will return to complete final restoration.
